Below we have gathered some of the finest services and products available to Lower Mainland families in support of your pregnancy, birth, and first year of parenthood. You’ll find Vancouver area midwives, prenatal yoga, massage, birth and newborn photography, doulas, chiropractic, acupuncture and more. Be sure to click on each section to discover fantastic local resources to help you get the support you need.

A doula does not take the place of partner or family (unless she’s asked to). You can think of her as a Sherpa, providing reassurance, suggesting or demonstrating tricks, checking in with you, and listening to what you find important. A birth doula works prenatally with you, attends your birth, and visits once or twice postpartum. A postpartum doula works hourly after the baby comes, often helping with housework and baby care, and providing support for both breastfeeding and new parenting.

We are lucky to have a lot of options in prenatal care in BC. Midwives, family doctors, and OB/GYNs are all covered by your Care Card; so whether you’re hoping to give birth in the hospital or at home, with a familiar care provider or someone new, you’ve got a community of integrated professionals available to you.

Being a new parent is like falling in love in a foreign country with someone who doesn’t speak your language. It’s the haze of sleep deprivation, the worry of messing it up, and a staggering awe that your whole life has been changed by someone so small and beautiful. Every new parent deserves support, and these groups – whether offering specific or general help – offer some of the best.

Your mama body is miraculous, powerful, vulnerable, and changed. These yoga and fitness resources honor your body and mind while you make the transition. We picked these practitioners as ones whose approach complements our classes, before birth and after your baby arrives. They encourage you to dig into a challenge without injuring your body or spirit.

There many options in the complimentary health field to help in pregnancy and postpartum. These are resources for physical discomfort, hormonal shifts, baby’s position in the womb, your body’s readiness for labor, or healing and recovery afterward. Massage therapist and chiropractors provide physical relief and make space for your baby. Acupuncturists and TCM practitioners can help with discomfort, hormones, and fetal positioning. In labour, some acupuncturists will visit you to help with pain control. Pelvic floor physiotherapists can help your recuperation postpartum. We love the energy of these family focused practitioners.

For you, some of the most important images of birth might not be caught by a camera – the curl of your partner’s hand, the light filtered through a tree branch, the smile of a care provider. But there are other images you might never see without someone to catch them. A birth photographer finds these powerful moments – the warrior stance you take as you labour, the first blinking moments when your newborn looks up into your face, the joyful tears you shed together. Family photographers find the story of your family, and capture the love unique to you. All of these photographers tell honest stories in striking images.

What do you need to welcome baby? We suggest starting simple and meeting your baby before you buy the bells-and-whistles – one baby might like a swing, and the next hate it to bits. There are lots of stores with baby things, but for local businesses with lovely, often ecologically conscious selections, we like these stores!

In Birthing From Within classes you may seen the wisdom available in your creative mind. Our classes are not art therapy – but if they pulled you that direction, you can continue your exploration with this therapist. This art therapist deals with issues around pregnancy, postpartum, and loss, as well as other topics.